I noticed that the plastic tray doesn't hold the miniatures very securely, and I was concerned that they may get their paint scratched if they ever rattled around inside the box.

So I took a $7 piece of 2-inch-thick Airtex Foam from Jo-Ann Fabric, and cut it down to the dimensions of the section of the box where the miniatures go. I added 1/4 inch to the dimensions to ensure a snug fit; this also compresses the foam in such a way that the miniatures are much less likely to fall out. I used a radial arm saw to do the cutting.

Then I held each miniature next to the foam and traced a rough outline with a felt marker.

Using an X-acto knife, I carefully cut away the foam until I had a nice little pocket. Voilà!

This is the first time I've ever painted anything in 15 years, the last time being when I was a kid dolloping Testors enamel all over cheap car models. For those like me who don't know much about painting, and who don't want to spend a ton of money, I found the following sites extremely helpful:

http://fortressat.com/index.php/up-your ... miniaturesNote: The Johnson&Johnson Future Floor Finish mentioned in this article is now sold as "Pledge Floor Care Tile & Vinyl Floor Finish with FUTURE Shine." I bought mine at Wal-Mart for about $6. I use Delta Ceramcoat paint ($1.29 per bottle), and it's been working great so far. I use Citadel paints (about $4 per bottle) for my metallic silvers, due to the pigmentation of the cheap stuff.